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Key
Constituency — NARWANA
Chautala, Hooda vie for Jat votes
Poll
Second Round — PANIPAT
Anti-incumbency mood in Bhiwani district
Problems galore but none a poll issue
Independents a force to reckon with in Hansi, Ghirai
Bitter contest in Rewari
Factors
at Play — YAMUNANAGAR
Notices to 38 for absence from poll duty
EC orders closure of liquor vends from Feb 1
Election scene hots up in Meham
BJP, JD (U) campaign way ahead
Rift casts shadow on Advani’s rally
Bihar seeks choppers for poll vigil
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Key
Constituency
— NARWANA
Narwana, January 30 The comment also explains the heights Randeep has achieved in his 12-year-long political journey. The constituency will witness the fourth encounter between Randeep and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala on February 3. From being a novice in politics, Randeep — after his elevation as the working president of the Haryana Congress — now virtually matches the political status of Mr Chautala. “If Chautala is present, Randeep is future, though he may not necessarily be immediate future. One thing is certain that Sonia has planned an important role for Randeep in post-February Haryana,” says Mr Jatinder Choudhary of Narwana Mandi. The battle between the “present” and the “future” has made Narwana the constituency no. 1 in the state. Randeep also exploits his “Chhora” image to the hilt, to seek blessings from village elders. He leaves no opportunity to project himself as “Narwane ka chhora”, who will bring political power to the constituency. He tells villagers that the “Aap ka Chhora Chautala Aur Uske Beton ko Bhoot Nazar Aawe. Isi Liye Use Maarne ki Khaatir Jor Laga Rakha Hai. Ab Aap Dekho ki Aap ke Chhore ko koi Gair na maare.” He ends his day not before 3 a.m. to be on the road at 8 a.m. again. In between, he has to find time to campaign for his father, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, who is contesting from Kaithal, as well as a few other constituency. But for most of the time, he has been campaigning in Narwana alone. On behalf of Mr Chautala, his MP son, Ajay, is campaigning in Narwana. He is being assisted by his son, Dushyant, and his cousin, Aditya, who go from door to door to seek votes for their grandfather and uncle, respectively. The main emphasis of the INLD campaign is on the number of development works in the constituency and jobs given to the youth of the area in the past five years. People agree that the number of government jobs secured by the youth of the Narwana constituency in the past five years far exceeds that under any other regime. They also admit that the INLD Government implemented several development schemes in the area. However, the general refrain among the people is that the jobs have gone to family members of only a chosen few. Narinder of Lone village said while four members of one family in his village got government jobs, many families could not get even one of their members employed. This had led to resentment among the “have-nots” of the job bonanza. The constituency can be divided into three belts — the Patiala road belt, the Banian Khap belt and the Hisar road belt, besides Narwana town. During the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had led in the town while the INLD was ahead in the countryside. To contain Mr Chautala, the “Narwana ka Chhora” would have to woo the countryside, particularly villages in the Banian Khap belt. And he is not leaving anything to chance. |
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Chautala, Hooda vie for Jat votes
Karnal, January 30 They started their campaign in an identical style in the form of rath yatras to reach out to the maximum number of people so as to project themselves as the supreme leader of the Jats. The Jats had emerged as the deciding factor to tilt the results in favour of the Congress in a big way. The defeat gave a big blow to Mr Chautala’s claim of being the favourite leader among this community. Chaudhary Birender Singh, grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, could have projected himself as an equal competitor within the Jat leadership but he couldn’t rise to the stature of Mr Hooda within the Congress due to factionalism. Jats comprise 28 per cent of the total electorate in the state. The INLD and the Congress thrive on the support of this community. The merger of the HVP headed by Mr Bansi Lal, once termed as the top leader of the Jats, with the Congress has added to the strength of the Congress. |
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Poll
Second Round
— PANIPAT
Panipat, January 30 Even then one thing is clear that the ruling Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is seemingly in no position to repeat its performance in the district and that too only for local reasons. It had won the Naulatha and Samalkha seats in the district in 2000 whereas the Congress won only the Panipat seat. Things have changed now as the INLD is in direct contest in only Naulatha this time as its candidate in Samalkha had gone out of direct contest as it had to face the challenge posed by its rebel here whereas it had no base in Panipat, a seat it had left for its alliance partner, the BJP, in 2000. Naulatha: Naulatha is witnessing a direct contest between Congress candidate Parsanni Devi and INLD candidate Ramratti Jaglan now. While Ms Parsanni is claiming that the contest has become one-sided after Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s rally in Naulatha on Friday, BSP supremo Mayawati’s visit on Sunday has worried the Congress camp. BSP candidate Jagbir Arya, a BJP rebel, is in no position to win in Naulatha. However, the votes bagged by him will harm the chances of the Congress candidate. Even in 2000, the BSP candidate was on the second place by getting 19401 whereas the Congress had to remain satisfied with the third place when Mr Parsanni Devi could get only 11539 votes. Samalkha: A direct contest is likely between Congress candidate Bharat Singh Chhokar and BJP candidate Sachdev Tyagi in Samalkha. The caste factor is likely to play a vital role in deciding the fate of contestants here. The Gujjar candidates have registered victory from this seat, most times. Non-Gujjars, including Jats and Brahmins, are seemingly polarising in favour of BJP candidate Sachdev Tyagi, a Brahmin. INLD candidate Katar Singh Chhokar has apparently gone out of race as he had to face the challenge from its rebel, Mr Inder Singh Chhokar, who is in the fray as an Independent. Gujjars are reportedly polarising in favour of Mr Bharat Singh Chhokar (Congress) as he is giving a tough fight to non-Gujjar Sachdev Tyagi. Panipat: This seat is still witnessing a triangular contest among Congress candidate Balbir Pal Shah, BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia and Independent Om Prakash Jain. INLD candidate Kasturi Lal Ahuja has now gone out of contest as his party has no base in Panipat. He will get votes only due to his personal links. The Lok Janshakti Party of Mr Ram Vilas Paswan had decided to support Independent Jain. It has further strengthened his position. However, any big development just before the date of voting may bring about some change in the present situation. |
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Anti-incumbency mood in Bhiwani district
Bhiwani, January 30 BHIWANI: This pre-dominantly urban constituency is the only seat in Bhiwani district where BJP candidate Ghanshyam Dass Sraff is in the fight. The Congress candidate here is Dr Shiv Shankar Bhardwaj, who feels that his prospects have got a boost after Ms Sonia Gandhi addressed a rally at Bhiwani yesterday. Though Dr Bhardwaj is trying to endear himself to Mr Bansi Lal’s followers, it is doubtful whether he (Mr Bansi Lal) will reciprocate. Mr Vasudev Sharma is the INLD candidate from the seat. TOSHAM: Mr Surinder Singh, Mr Bansi Lal’s son, lost elections from this family citadel as the HVP nominee in 2000. However, in the Lok Sabha elections in May last year, he did better than others in the Tosham segment of the Bhiwani LS constituency. Following the HVP merger with the Congress, he is fighting from the seat on the Congress ticket. It is a straight fight between him and INLD’s Sunil Lamba. BADHRA: Mr Dharam Vir, who defeated Mr Surinder Singh in the last elections, has been made to leave his traditional Tosham constituency and become the Congress candidate from this seat. A triangular fight is on for the seat with Mr Narpender Singh, Independent and a former HVP legislator, and Mr Ranbir Singh, the sitting MLA of the INLD, challenging Mr Dharam Vir. DADRI: In this seat too, a former HVP MLA is in the fray as an Independent. The Congress nominated debutant Nirpender Sangwan to contest this seat. It is alleged that Mr Bansi Lal is clandestinely favouring Mr Satpal Sangwan, erstwhile HVP legislator. The INLD nominee here is Mr Vijay Prakash. Mr Somvir, an Independent, has a good image and may be favoured by a section of the voters. LOHARU: Mr Somvir Singh, a former HVP minister and son-in-law of Mr Bansi Lal, is engaged in a contest with Minister of State for Education and INLD nominee, Bahadur Singh. Other contestants from this constituency fall in the “also ran” category. BAWANI KHERA: Mr Ram Kishan Fauji, who won the last election from this reserved seat on HVP ticket, is the Congress nominee this time. His rival is Mr Raghbir Singh Ranga of the INLD. It is the Congress lehar (wave) which is proving helpful to Mr Ram Kishan. MUNDHAL KHURD: There is a straight fight between Mr Ranbir Mahendra (Cong) and Mr Raghvir Singh (INLD). Mr Mahendra is for the first time getting the backing of his father, Mr Bansi Lal, who enjoys a considerable following in
Bhiwani. The INLD candidate, being a Rajput, is expected to get a majority of the over 26,000 Rajput votes in the constituency. |
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Problems galore but none a poll issue
Ferozpur Jhirka, January 30 The majority of candidates in this region are Muslims. Hence, factors would go deeper than caste and
gotra-pal (sub-caste) and khap. The issues in the area, which the INLD unsuccessfully tried to convert into district Satyamev Puram, are backwardness, illiteracy and inadequate power and water. Elections here have been influenced by Muslim leaders Tayyab Hussain, Khursheed Ahmed and Rahim Khan who have represented the area several times in the Assembly and parliamentary elections. For a majority of Muslims of Mewat who prefer to call themselves Meos, unemployment and backwardness are regular problems and not something which can be made a “Call it lack of education but if you ask a Meo what issues are governing the elections, he is most likely to say there are no issues. If you ask him about his problems, the ‘rona dhona’ will begin. People here have not realised that the problems have to be converted into poll issues which can be bargained for votes,” says Mr Rakesh Jain, a contractor. Which is why sub-caste and love and affection will decide the future of the candidates. Taoru has 1.5 lakh voters and there are more Hindus than Muslims. The Hindu factor is likely to work in favour of the BJP candidate though locals say that even Hindus are supporting Saida Kha Shikapur of the INLD and Zakir Hussain of the Congress. Sanjay Singh of the BJP, a relatively new face in politics, is banking on the goodwill earned by his late father Surajpal Singh Thakur, who was the revenue minister in the Bansi Lal government, besides the Jat and Ahir votes. Nuh and Firozepur Jhirka are constituencies where the sub-caste of contestants is expected to tilt the balance. Nuh, the nerve centre of the Mewat region with 1.38 lakh voters, comprises mostly Muslims. Here the gotra-pal of the Meo candidates is expected to be the deciding factor in the triangular contest among Hamid Hussain of the INLD, Aftab Ahmad of the Congress and Habib-ur-Rahman, an Independent. In Ferozepur Jhirka, there are 1.47 lakh voters of which about two-third are Muslims and one-third Hindus. Mohammad Illyas of the INLD, Azad Mohammad of the Congress and Shakrullah
Khan, a rebel from the Congress, are locked in a battle here. Ms Dayawati Badana, sister of Congress MP from Faridabad, is also in the fray and is said to have a strong Hindu vote bank in areas like Shingaar
ki Baesie and Bichchor ki Baesie. Hathin, with an almost equal number of Hindu and Muslim voters, has Master Azmat Khan of the INLD and Jaleb Khan of the Congress as the two strong contenders. Independent candidate Harsh Kumar, with his good image and influence, is also in the fray. |
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Independents a force to reckon with in Hansi, Ghirai
Hisar, January 30 While Congress dissident Vinod Bhyana is giving sleepless nights to Congress candidate Amir Chand Makkad, former Congress minister Chhattarpal is pitted against Independent Jogi Ram Sihag. However, in Hansi, BJP nominee P.K. Chaudhary may change the equation due to the party’s loyal vote bank. Even if he is not able to win the contest himself, the stance taken by him may play a crucial role in the poll outcome. INLD candidate Satyabala Malik is also in the fray. In the Hansi constituency, law and order, development and unemployment are the major factors at play. As many as 57 villages fall under this constituency. While Mr Makkad is riding high on the pro-Congress wave, Mr Bhyana is confident of victory by the virtue of his support base. He had applied for Congress ticket but without success. “More than the denial of ticket, the indifferent attitude of the Congress nominee forced me to contest as a rebel,” he says, adding that the Independents would play a key role in the formation of the government. Asked what would he do if the Congress forms the government, he says that it is not a big issue. “The Congress takes more time in expelling members than it takes to take them back,” he says. On the other hand, Mr Makkad has the backing of the state Congress president, Mr Bhajan Lal, whose son and Congress MP from Bhiwani Kuldeep Bishnoi is campaigning for Mr Makkad. The Congress nominee may also get sympathy votes following the murder of his supporter and Congressman Prem Papneja. In the Ghirai constituency, the Congress has fielded former minister Chhattarpal Singh, who is pitted against Independent candidate Jogi Ram Sihag and INLD’s Puran Singh Dabra. In the Ghirai constituency, regular water and power supply, besides the construction of streets and roads and provision of ration cards to those below the poverty line are the major issues. The constituency comprises nearly 40 villages. Prof Chhattarpal claims that it is a one-sided contest in his favour. He asserts that the people want to get rid of the Chautala regime’s reign of terror. Mr Sihag has been claiming that he is being backed by some Congress members. Mr Bhajan Lal has issued notices to Mr Dharam Singh Punia, Mr Rajender Sura, Mr Vikas Punia and Mr Ishwar Singh Punia to explain their alleged anti-party activities. Prof Chhattarpal had complained that these leaders were campaigning against him. Most residents feel that the main contest was between Prof Chhattarpal and Mr Sihag. The sitting Ghirai MLA, Mr Puran Singh Dabra of the INLD, is facing a strong anti-incumbency factor. The BJP has fielded Col Sahi Ram
Kalkal (retd), who is struggling to find a foothold in the constituency. |
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Bitter contest in Rewari
Rewari, January 30 There are about 1,50,000 voters in Rewari Assembly segment dominated the Ahir community. The nominees of the BJP, BSP and the INLD are all from the Ahir community and belong to the Dharuhera sector of this constituency. The Congress nominee is also an Ahir. In the last Assembly elections Mr Vijay Somani stood second in the contest polling about 21,000 votes in comparison to the Congress nominee, Capt Ajay Singh, who secured about 26,000 Votes. Mr Kapdiwas as an Independent had stood third. It is notable that Mr Somani, who heads a voluntary organisation, Rashtriya Nav Chetna, is in the fray for the first time. With a good record behind him to up for his credibility, Mr Kapdiwas (BJP) is a strong challenge for Capt Ajay Singh. However, what goes in favour of Capt Ajay Singh is his personal rapport in the constituency, dating from the time of his father Rao Abhey Singh’s political days. Even those who differ with him on political plane here have good words for him socially. The Congress is banking on traditional support of the Ahir community. What has come as a major worry to Capt Ajay Singh is the increased opposition, albeit under cover, from a local faction in the party loyal to Rao Inderjeet Singh, a minister at the Centre, who is also the local Congress MP. With the Ahir community divided in the rural areas in a multi-cornered contest to the detriment of the Congress nominee, Rewari city holds the balance in the poll outcome. |
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Where unmarried daughters are not allowed to vote
Sirsa, January 30 This came to light when this correspondent talked to a number of girls in nearby villages here to enlist their views about the Assembly elections. “Though we are above 18 years of age our parents have not got us registered as voters,” said a few girls, revealing their anguish. “What can we tell you about the elections when we can’t vote,” the girls said. An unmarried girl of Khai Shergarh village, near here, said “there is an old custom in most Bagri families not to allow unmarried girls to go to polling stations to exercise their franchise. Such girls use their constitutional right only after Even village elders testified what these girls said. Mr Ram Kumar of this village said “It is a fact that most Bagri families never get their eligible, unmarried daughters registered as voters. Even those who have passed graduation have not been registered as voters”. “It is a tradition in most Haryana villages among certain communities not to allow their unmarried daughters to cast votes. They do not take part even in the village panchayat elections,” said Mr Devi Lal, another village elder. Asked to comment in this regard, a village school teacher said though Haryana had been on the path of progress for several years and had marched ahead its neighbour Punjab in certain areas, it had failed to break free from age-old traditions and remove social backwardness in the countryside. Though people had started sending their daughters to schools, they prefer to keep them within the four walls of the house. |
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Factors
at Play
— YAMUNANAGAR
Yamunanagar, January 30 The BSP and INLD could affect the calculations of the Congress and the BJP. In Chhachhrouli, SC votes numbering about 32,000 hold the key. The election, which is going to be a four-cornered contest, will also be a personality contest. While Mr Akram Khan of the INLD claims his position is sound because of his links, Congress candidate Hazi Fitrat Ali is counting on traditional Muslim votes. The BJP has fielded its sitting MLA Kanwar Pal who is a Gujjar. Besides the traditional BJP votes, he is depending on the votes of his community. The BSP candidate, Mr Arjun Singh, is believed to have his own vote bank. At the Jagadhri seat, the BSP has fielded a candidate from the upper caste, Mr Rajiv Gupta Kaku, who is expected to make inroads in the traditional vote bank of the BJP. The BSP had won the last elections. Mr Gupta is a trader and there are about 18,000 votes of traders in Jagadhri. The Congress is counting on its vote bank while the INLD MLA, Mr B.L Saini, is depending on Saini votes. The contest in Yamunanagar is likely to be triangular, with both BJP and Congress depending on their vote banks. The INLD candidate is eyeing rural votes and also those of migrant labourers. A point in favour of the Congress here is that the BSP is not a force here. In
Sadhaoura (reserved), the BSP could eat into the votes of the Congress. If the crowd-pulling capacity of rebel Congress candidate Deep Chand is any indication, the official party nominee, Mr Ramji Lal, would have to work harder to win back those who are supporting the rebel candidate. The INLD MLA, Mr Balwant Singh, is making efforts to woo Jats and Sikhs. At the
Radaour (reserved) seat, Saini votes hold the key. Here also the Congress is facing a rebellion and the BJP could benefit from it. The BJP is banking on INLD voters who are angry that Ms Kailaso Saini was not given ticket by the party. The INLD candidate is expecting to benefit from the split in the Congress votes. |
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Notices to 38 for absence from poll duty
Sonepat, January 30 According to a report, these officials were posted on election duty in six Assembly segments, Baroda (Reserved), Gohana, Kailana, Sonepat, Rai and Rohat, in the district. These officials were found absent from election duty and they also kept themselves away from pilot rehearsal on January 27. These officials included Mr U.K. Gandhi, Manager of Punjab National Bank, Mr Vipin Rehlan and Mr Parveen Kumar, both development officers of New India Insurance Company, Mr Harnam Singh, an assistant with Oriental Insurance Company, Mr Y.K. Juneja, assistant in the State Bank of India, Mr Randhir Singh, a junior engineer of the PWD (B&R), Mr R.K. Sharma, an official in the Mines and Mineral Department, Mr G.R. Chugh, an official in the State Bank of Patiala, Mr V.P. Yadav, a junior engineer, Mr S.S. Ahlawat, an accountant in the Water Service Division, Mr Balwan Singh, Mr Mahinder Singh, an officer in Agricultural Development Bank, Mr Ram Singh, Field Officer, Mr D.C. Saini, SDO, Mr Raj Kumar of the FCI and Mr Rajesh Sharma, an official of the State Bank of Patiala. |
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EC orders closure of liquor vends from Feb 1
Sonepat, January 30 According to official sources, the polling in these constituencies will take place from 8 am to 5 p.m. on February 3. The order for the closure of all liquor vends has been issued to ensure free and fair elections and maintain the law and order situation in the state. On the directive of the district and police administrations, the owners of all liquor vends have put up notices indicating that the vends would remain close for the three days. The District Magistrate, Mr Vidya Dhai, has
warned that any violation of the order will attract penal action against those violating the order. Meanwhile, the police has beefed up the security in all six Assembly segments in the district. |
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Election scene hots up in Meham
Rohtak, January 30 Meham is known for its fierce political character where voter turnout has always been much higher than other areas of the state. Since 1977 the voter turnout has been going up steadily. In 1977, 64.50 per cent of voters exercised their franchise and Mr Har Swarup was elected by polling 49.20 per cent votes. In 1982 when Devi Lal won from here the turnout was 69.81 with the winner cornering 62.87 per cent of the votes polled. In 1987, when Devi Lal was at the peak of his political career, the poll percentage rose to 71.83 per cent. In this Devi Lal's share was a staggering 67.18 per cent. In between in 1989 and 1990, the constituency saw one of the most infamous electoral contests ever held in the country. The byelection which was countermanded on at least two occasions caused many deaths in poll- related violence and police firing. In this aborted byelection, Mr Om Prakash Chautala faced his one-time protégé, Mr Anand Singh Dangi. In 1991, Mr Dangi won from here as a Congress nominee polling 63.75 per cent of the votes polled. The voter turn- out was 65.98 per cent. In the 1996 election, the INLD nominee, Mr Balbir romped home polling a mere 32.24 per cent of the votes even though the voter turn out stood at 71.59 per cent. In 2000 he again won from here bettering his performance by claiming 45.42 per cent of the votes. The turnout that year was 77.68 per cent. No other constituency can match these figures. It is by virtue of this character that the constituency sets the trend for the Jat heartland, at least in every election. The INLD has fielded a new face this time. Mr Rajbir has replaced the sitting INLD MLA, Mr Balbir. The Janata Dal (S) has put up Mr Krishan. Mr Rohtas is the Rashtriya Lok Dal nominee. All candidates are campaigning vigorously, but the bout between the Congress and the INLD is being watched closely as the latter is trying to wrest this seat from the ruling party. Ever since the 1990 Meham mayhem, all elections from here have led to tension. The current campaign is no exception. Both Congress and INLD nominees use aggressive style of campaigning. This could be because the voter expects this from them. Mr Dangi who spent a long time in jail during Mr Chautala's rule on charges of corruption, is speaking in terms of seeking revenge. On the other hand, the INLD nominee, Mr Rajbir is responding with veiled threats of teaching his rival a lesson for what he terms as his repeated bids to spoil the "brotherhood" of the Meham Chaubisi panchayat. Though all candidates claim the Chaubisi support since most leading candidates have their own henchmen posing as self- styled chiefs of this panchayat, the fact is that the panchayat has not been convened and no appeal has been issued in anybody's favour. But as always, all candidates have begun their campaign from the Chaubisi chabutara which has become an electoral ritual in Meham. There is hardly any issue worth the name. In fact, it has never been so in Meham where the only issue is always the election itself. The electoral contests here are no friendly matches governed by the rules of the game. The players lack such niceties as sportsmanlike spirit. Meham elections are full-fledged wars and another one is in progress here. |
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BJP, JD (U) campaign way ahead
Patna, January 30 Two days are left for the campaigning to end for the first phase of the elections and the
BJP-JD (U) campaign appears to be ahead of its opponents. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Bhagalpur set the election agenda by focusing on the deteriorating law and order situation. Other leaders of the BJP and its ally
JD (U) have already touched a majority of the constituencies. So meticulously planned is the campaign of the NDA that only in Arrah, which has a higher representation of upper castes, senior leaders Pramod Mahajan, Uma Bharti, George Fernandes and Sharad Yadav have addressed rallies almost six days ahead of lone Congress star campaigner Sonia Gandhi. Wary of the Election Commission, the NDA is focusing on campaigns by its leaders who are using helicopters to reach out to people in almost every constituency. The BJP general secretary and in charge of Bihar campaign, Mr Arun Jaitley, said: “We have a definite edge over our opponents as the Congress campaign is yet to take off. “We have an advantage as the unity of purpose with the
JD (U) to end the 15-year ‘misrule’ of the RJD has generated a synergy in our workers which is reflected in our well-attended public meetings and rallies,” he said. While the NDA had several leaders to go to the electorate, the campaign of the RJD, Congress and LJP was dependent on leaders like Mr Laloo Yadav, Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, he said. The BJP has asked its state leaders C. P. Thakur, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Ruddy and Shahnawaj Hussain to stay put in Gaya, Sasaram, Buxar and Bhagalpur. On the contrary, Mr Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi are the sole campaigners who are working overtime to ensure the return of the RJD to power. The CPM and the CPI do not believe in personalised campaigns and depend on their cadres. Mr Paswan has been campaigning for at least six months now. The Congress campaign would only start on January 31 when Ms Gandhi would address public meetings in Buxar and Aarah. The news of Ms Gandhi’s proposed rally has, meanwhile, given a fillip to the party’s campaign which has been going on a low key. Party candidate Satayendra Narain Singh and local leaders S. P. Singh, who were feeling neglected, now appear confident. The Congress is banking on the upper castes and minorities. The understanding with the LJP has also given the Congress candidates in the Bhojpuri-speaking region some confidence. In Buxar and Biirkamganj, there is a considerable concentration of upper castes and the Congress strategy to hold the rallies of Ms Gandhi there is aimed at recapturing its old vote bank. In the 64 Assembly seats, the Congress has only one seat of Kahalgaon while the BJP has
six. |
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Rift casts shadow on Advani’s rally
Hazaribagh, January 30 The clash is being seen as a reflection of the internecine feud between former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha and Buildings
Division Minister Devdayal
Kushwaha, who is also the BJP candidate from Hazaribagh. The feud apparently originated in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections when Mr Sinha’s defeat was attributed to lack of active support from some of the local BJP MLAs. Sources said Mr Sinha was not in favour of Mr Kushwaha’s candidature from
Hazaribagh. The differences between the two apparently aggravated after Mr Braj Kishore Jaiswal, a liquor baron who was a contender for the BJP ticket, entered the electoral fray as an independent. The trouble erupted today when both Mr Sinha and Mr Kushwaha were going round the city together urging people to come for Mr Advani’s rally. A group of inebriated people, giving the impression that they were loyalists of Mr Sinha and were upset at his campaigning for Mr
Kushwaha, hit at some of the vehicles of the caravan. A complaint was later lodged with the police by Mr Kushwaha demanding arrest of the trouble-makers. Locals, however, feel that it could be an engineered attempt to gain sympathy votes for Mr
Kushwaha. Caste factor is crucial in elections here and it could be an attempt to consolidate nearly 70,000 voters of Kushwaha community in the constituency, said Mr Ilyas Khan, a resident. Apparently unhappy with the events of the day, Mr Advani did not allow the local leaders much say on the stage. He preponed his address and spoke briefly. Taking credit for creation of new state, the former Deputy Prime Minister said Jharkhand would join the league of frontline states in five years if the BJP was returned to power. He
promised to fulfill all promises made in the party’s election manifesto and accelerate development. The state is already better than Bihar, he said. Lauding the six-year rule of the Vajpayee government, Mr Advani said that it had boosted confidence in the country’s capabilities and improved India’s image abroad. Referring to the problem of
Naxalism, he promised to make Jharkhand a developed and secure state. BJP leaders attributed less attendance at the rally to bad weather. |
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Bihar seeks choppers for poll vigil
Patna, January 30 State Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani today said choppers would help security forces take expeditious steps to tackle extremist activities. Subject to availability of choppers, effective aerial surveillance would be undertaken by personnel of the Special Task Force (STF) equipped with sophisticated weapons followed by prompt action wherever necessary, he argued.
— UNI |
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